Through Sam's Eyes: The Treasure of Pontypandy Pete
by CarsWorldFan
Summary: Another story in my 'Through Sam's Eyes' series. After Sam tells the kids a story about Pontypandy Pete, Norman declares that he will find the hidden treasure. But without the treasure map, even Norman can't begin to hunt for the treasure. Things start to unravel when Sam and Penny stumble upon one of the most important archaeological finds ever found in Pontypandy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _Ah! This is a perfect way to start the week_ , I thought blissfully as I snuggled down further beneath my warm blankets. I'd been given a well-earned half-day off work, which meant that I had the rare opportunity to sleep-in for as long as I liked. _And on a Monday too! How lucky can I get?_ Naturally, I'd awoken at my usual time, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I drifted back off to sleep again. To ensure that I wouldn't be disturbed, I'd turned my mobile phone onto silent, and taken the landline phone off the hook.

I had just reached that blissful moment when I was about to drift off to sleep again, when someone rang the doorbell. Startled, I jumped awake.

 _Oh daro!*_

With much reluctance, I got up. After I'd put on some casual clothes, I headed downstairs.

"Who is it?" I asked through the letterbox.

"It's just us, Sam," Bronwyn replied.

Sighing heavily, I unlocked the door. Bronwyn and Charlie were standing there, along with Sarah and James. "What's up?"

"We couldn't get you on the phone, Sam," Charlie said. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. I was just trying to get some extra sleep, so I turned my phone off."

"Oh. Well, Bronwyn and I want to go to Newtown today, so we were hoping you'd be able to look after Sarah and James for us, please."

"Sure, I can do that. But I am on duty after lunch."

"Don't worry," Bronwyn said. "I'm sure we'll be back by then. If not, I've also asked Helen to keep an eye on them when she's not busy."

"Oh! We don't need looking after, mum!" Sarah retorted indignantly.

I smiled. "Come on in, you two. You can watch TV while I get some things done."

"Yay!" Sarah and James cheered as they dashed past me.

"They'll be fine," I assured Charlie and Bronwyn.

"Thanks, Sam," Bronwyn said. "We'll phone when we're about to leave Newtown."

"You'd better turn your phone back on, Sam," Charlie advised with a wink.

"I will. Bye now. Have fun." I closed the door, and I headed into the kitchen to prepare my breakfast. I looked at the clock on the wall above the stove. It was nine o'clock. _So much for sleeping-in…_

After I'd turned my mobile phone back on and put the landline back on the hook, I set about preparing my breakfast. I'd just sat down to eat it, when Sarah and James entered the kitchen.

"I thought you two were watching TV?"

"We were," James replied. "But we've see it all."

"Can we go down to the beach, please Uncle Sam?" Sarah asked hopefully.

I glanced up at the clock again. _I have enough time before my shift starts._ "All right. We'll go as soon as I've finished my breakfast."

"Yay!" Sarah and James exclaimed in unison.

…

When we arrived at the beach, we found Norman, Mandy and Hannah already playing there. They were building sandcastles.

"Hello, Fireman Sam," the three of them said in greeting.

"We're having a competition to see who can build the biggest sandcastle," Mandy explained.

"Cool! Can we join in?" Sarah asked.

"Of course!" Norman agreed. "Er, but that's my bucket. You'll have to go and fetch your own."

"You could share the bucket, Norman," Hannah suggested.

"But that's my bucket, and I want to have the biggest sandcastle!"

I rolled my eyes. As I did so, I caught sight of the ruins up on the cliff above us. "I know! Why don't I tell you all a story?" I suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation.

"But stories are sooo boring!" Norman protested.

"Uncle Sam's aren't," James retorted. "He knows loads of stories about Pontypandy!"

"I'd like to hear one!" Hannah said.

"Me too!" Mandy agreed.

I chuckled. "All right! Can I borrow you bucket please, Norman? Thanks!"

"Hey! I needed that," Norman grumbled.

"Come and sit down, kids," I invited as I sat down on the upturned bucket. "And as soon as we're all comfortable, I'll begin. Are you going to join us, Norman?"

"Oh, all right!" And Norman knelt down in the sand on my left.

"Now, what story should I tell you?"

"Why don't you tell us the one about Pontypandy Pete, Uncle Sam?" Sarah suggested eagerly. "You haven't told us that story in ages!"

"Okay."

And so, I began to tell the story of the legend of Pontypandy Pete. The kids listened intently, completely enthralled.

"…And it was somewhere near these very shores that Pontypandy Pete's ship, the Pontypandy Pearl, sank to the bottom of the sea…"

"Was it ever found, Uncle Sam?" James asked anxiously.

"No, James."

"But what happened to Pontypandy Pete's treasure?" Norman asked as he stood up.

"Nobody knows, Norman. Because when the Pontypandy Pearl sank, Pontypandy Pete's treasure map was lost forever!"

"Oh, no!" Sarah exclaimed in dismay.

"Oh! I bet I could find it!" Norman said in his usual self-confident manner. And he started running towards the edge of the ocean. He paused behind a rock, so he could look out to sea. "I'll be the best treasure hunter ever!"

But Norman wasn't watching where he was going, and as he took his next step forwards, he slipped on the rock, tripped over and splashed into the sea. I instinctively stood up to go and help him, but I sat back down again when I saw that he was all right.

"Oh!" Norman exclaimed in disgust after he'd spat out a mouthful of seawater.

James giggled. "You couldn't find treasure if it was right in front of your nose, Norman!"

"I wonder if anyone ever will find it," Mandy said, turning to face me.

"Well, who knows?" I said. "Stranger things have happened in Pontypandy." My watch beeped out an alarm then. I glanced at it. "Sorry, Sarah and James. I had no idea it was getting this late, and I need to have some lunch and get ready for work. Your parents should be back soon anyway. Come along."

"Eh! But what about me?" Norman shouted. He was still in the water.

"Maybe you should've brought a towel instead of a bucket, Norman," Sarah teased.

I went over to Norman, and I lifted him out of the water.

"Urgh! Thanks Fireman Sam."

"You're welcome, Norman." I turned towards my niece and nephew. "Let's go now, you two."

"Race you back to town, Uncle Sam!" Sarah challenged. And she took off sprinting down the beach. James and I ran after her.

* Daro – A Welsh word meaning 'darn it'.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.**

Chapter 2

Later that afternoon, I signed on for work as soon as I arrived at the fire station. Ellie and Arnold had just finished signing off from duty for the day, having had night duty together the night before. After I'd had a brief chat with Ellie and Arnold, Station Officer Steele filled me in on what had happened that morning. There hadn't been much to report, and nothing had happened (aside from Elvis getting his foot stuck in a bucket again), so afterwards I went upstairs to make myself a nice cup of tea to drink. While I sipped on my tea, I planned out a training exercise for the others to undertake the next time we were all rostered on duty together.

I'd just finished planning the training exercise, when the alarms went off. Instinctively, I sprinted across the room to the nearest fireman's pole.

" _Joe Sparkes is trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a submarine that's run out of power,_ " Station Officer Steele announced over the loudspeakers as I slid down the pole.

Penny and Elvis joined me downstairs. I didn't have to give them any instructions. We'd all worked together for so long that most of the time they were able to anticipate what I had in mind. I ran over to Mercury, and I put on my quadbike helmet, while Penny and Elvis got into Venus. Together, we raced our vehicles down to the Ocean Rescue Centre.

Ben was already suited up and checking the Map Screen-700 when we arrived at the Ocean Rescue Centre.

"I've got the co-ordinates, Sam," Ben reported. "He's just off Pontypandy Island."

"Copy that, Ben," I replied as I grabbed my wetsuit off the hook.

Elvis and I quickly suited up into out wetsuits, while Penny donned her scuba diving gear. Although I was trained in many different types of rescues and emergencies, I'd never been interested in learning how to scuba dive. Part of my reluctance to learn was because of my fear of caves. I'd always imagined that being deep down underwater where it was dark and murky would be similar to being underground, and I didn't want to experience that unless it was absolutely necessary.

As soon as we were all ready, we went downstairs and boarded Titan. With Ben at the helm, we made our way as fast as possible to Joe's last known co-ordinates. When we arrived, Elvis helped Penny put on her scuba gear. Once she was ready, she flipped backwards out of Titan and she splashed into the water.

Penny swam around to Titan's bow, where I threw Titan's tow cable to her. She caught it, and then began her long descent to the ocean floor.

Several minutes later, an alert sounded in Titan's control room. Elvis and I stood back as Ben activated the winch. Before long, Joe's submarine emerged at the surface. I cautiously climbed onto it, and I opened the hatch.

"Penny's in trouble, Sam!" Joe blurted out. "She's got her foot stuck!"

 _Oh, no! And she won't have much air left, either._

"What are we going to do?" Elvis wondered.

 _This is why one of us needs to start training as a back-up scuba diver_ , I thought as I removed my helmet. Then, I unzipped my life vest and I took it off. _I know Ben can scuba dive, but we also need another firefighter to be qualified in it as well._

"We haven't got time to go back and get more diving gear!" Ben exclaimed.

 _It's useless anyway if you don't know how to use it correctly. The water here can't be more than fifteen metres deep. Hopefully, Penny isn't right at the bottom. I hope I can make it…_ I set my life vest down on top of the submarine. "I'm going in!" I told the others. Before they could protest, I grabbed a pair of cutters from my life vest. Then, I drew in the biggest breath I could hold before I dived neatly into the water.

Using my strong swimming skills, I managed to swim straight down towards the bottom of the ocean. It was not easy. My lungs screamed in protest for more air; the salt water stung my eyes, and my ears popped painfully against the water pressure. But I kept going.

I could see Penny down near the ocean floor. Her leg was entangled in some thick rope. I didn't have time to even consider how it got there. I needed air, or I would black out and drown.

Luckily, as soon as I'd reached Penny, she removed her oxygen mask and offered it to me. I clutched it to my face, breathing in the air I so desperately needed. Once my lungs had stopped hurting from the strain of holding my breath for so long, I drew in another deep breath before giving the mask back to Penny. Then, I set to work freeing her leg. After I'd cut through the rope, Penny kicked it clear of her leg. Between us, we shared the oxygen mask for a moment. We knew it wouldn't be an easy swim back to the surface for either of us, so we needed as much oxygen as we could get.

Just as we were about to head back up to the surface, I saw something off to my left. To my astonishment, it looked like a flag bearing the faded marks of the Jolly Rodger. I tapped Penny on the shoulder, and I pointed to the flag. Penny also looked. Beyond the flag was the wooden remains of an old ship.

Penny pointed towards the surface. It was her way of saying, "Let's get out of here." I didn't need a second invitation. We started swimming back towards the surface, sharing the oxygen mask between us. We were almost at the surface when Penny's oxygen tank ran out of air. Using the last of the air in our lungs, we swam straight up to the surface.

Penny and I broke through the water's surface almost at the same time. For a moment, we just treaded water at the surface while we breathed in the deliciously sweet air. I could hear Ben and Elvis shouting at us, but I couldn't figure out what they were saying. I was too disorientated from the lack of oxygen, and I knew I was in danger of blacking out. Then, I felt Penny slip an arm securely around my chest, and she dragged me over to Titan. Ben and Elvis pulled me out of the water, and they lay me down in the recovery position on Titan's deck. I coughed several times before I closed my eyes to block out the blinding sunlight.

"Penny, you need to lie down too," Ben ordered. "With you and Sam in no condition to lead, I'm taking command of this rescue from now on." And with that, Ben got on the radio. "Ben Hooper to Station Officer Steele. Come in, please."

" _Receiving you, Ben. What's the situation?_ "

"Request urgent back-up near Pontypandy Island, sir. Both senior firefighters are suffering from mild asphyxia. We require extra oxygen, masks, and Tom with Wallaby One. We'll also require Nurse Flood to be on stand-by and to meet us at the Ocean Rescue Centre."

" _Copy that, Ben. I'll contact Tom and Nurse Flood now._ "

"Understood, sir. Out."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Joe asked. He was now out of his submarine and standing on the safety of Titan's deck.

"No, Joe," Ben replied firmly. "Please just stay at the bow for now, so you're out of the way."

"But what about Hannah?" Joe protested. "She's stranded on Pontypandy Island!"

"We'll have to collect her later, Joe. Titan is too big to get into the bay of Pontypandy Island, so we'll have to use Neptune to fetch her. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do right now."

"What about Ellie and Arnold? Couldn't they get her?"

"They're not qualified coastguards yet, Joe," Penny explained. "Don't worry. Hannah will be fine on her own for a while. She's very resourceful."

"I suppose…"

Ben knelt down beside me, and he felt my neck for my pulse. I just continued drawing in deep breaths of air. My breathing sounded very haggard though, which was concerning. "Sam? Sam, can you hear me?"

I nodded, but I didn't have the strength to respond verbally. I groaned feebly, and I placed a hand against my side. My lungs were hurting after the strain I'd just put them through. _Ouch!_ _That was tough! I just hope I haven't damaged anything…_

"I can see Wallaby One coming now, Ben," Elvis reported.

"Good. Okay, Elvis. When Tom gets here, I'll need you to help me rig up Joe's submarine to the helicopter. Tom will have to carry it back to the quay."

A moment later, Wallaby One flew in overhead. Tom made the helicopter hover above us while he lowered two oxygen tanks down to us. Once the oxygen tanks were safely on deck, Ben and Elvis connected Joe's submarine to Wallaby One's cable.

While Ben and Elvis were attending to the submarine, I sensed a shadow falling over me. Opening my eyes, I saw Joe looking anxiously down at me. I coughed a couple of times, before closing my eyes again.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," I heard Joe whisper sadly. "I-I didn't mean for this to happen."

I wanted to respond, but I didn't have the energy right then. I knew that Joe was feeling guilty about how the events had unfolded, but I didn't blame him for any of it. He hadn't gotten Penny's leg tangled, and I'd made the decision to dive down to rescue her. He had nothing to feel guilty about.

Shortly after Tom had taken off with Joe's submarine attached, Ben knelt down beside me again. "Right, Sam. Let's get some oxygen into you…" And he placed one of the oxygen masks over my face. I lay quietly, breathing in the oxygen slowly and evenly. "That's it," Ben encouraged, placing a hand reassuringly on my shoulder. "Just concentrate on your breathing rate."

"Sam will be okay, won't he?" Joe asked anxiously.

"Yes, Joe. We're all trained in what to do if any of our equipment fails or malfunctions. I'm not saying that's what happened, of course, but we know what to do when things go wrong. Can you just stay with him please, while I check on Penny?"

"Of course."

Before long, we got underway with Ben at Titan's helm. As we neared the quay, I managed to sit up.

"Feeling better now, Sam?" Joe asked hopefully.

I nodded in response. Then, I removed the oxygen mask. "I'll live. Don't be upset, Joe. It wasn't your fault. You didn't put the rope around Penny's leg."

Joe just nodded sadly in response.

As soon as Titan had been moored at the quay, Helen jumped on board carrying her first aid kit. "What happened, Ben?"

"Penny got trapped underwater, so Sam free-dived to rescue her," Ben explained. "I want you to examine Sam first, since he had less air than Penny."

"You should've stopped him," Helen admonished as she made her way over to me. "He could've drowned. Free-diving is extremely dangerous."

I staggered to my feet, leaning my back against the external wall of Titan's cabin for support. "Penny would've drowned if I hadn't dived down to rescue her," I told Helen firmly. "She was almost out of air, and we didn't have time to go back and fetch more."

Helen just shook her head in dismay. "Go and get changed, Sam. I want you to wait for me inside the Ocean Rescue Centre. Hopefully, you haven't done any permanent damage to your lungs."

Sighing despondently, I grabbed my life vest and I disembarked from Titan. As I climbed the harbour steps, I noticed that a large crowd had gathered at the top to see what was going on. Charlie stopped me at the top of the stairs.

"Are you okay, Sam? Helen said that you and Penny had asphyxia. What happened?"

"I'm fine, Charlie," I replied, and I patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I was just doing my job."

"That's what you always say," Charlie grumbled.

"Because it's true, Charlie. My job is to save people, even if it means putting my own life in danger. And before you say anything else, I'm not a hero for doing my job. I need to go and get changed, or I'll have Helen after me. We can talk more about this later, okay." And with that, I headed over to the Ocean Rescue Centre.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.**

Chapter 3

"Okay, Sam," Helen said kindly. "I want you to breathe in and out slowly."

I did as Helen instructed. She moved the stethoscope around on my back as I concentrated on my breathing. After a moment, she removed the stethoscope, and she moved around in front of me. I tucked my shirt back into my trousers.

"Well, the good news is that you don't appear to have done any permeant damage to your lungs," Helen reported. "But they will probably be rather sore for the next few days, so I'm going to have you restricted to light duties for the rest of the week."

I sighed despondently. Then I rubbed my forehead with the thumb and fingers of my right hand. "Okay, Helen. Uh, can you please define what you mean by 'light duties'."

Helen smiled. "I knew you'd ask that. I won't restrict you to office duties this time, but I think you'll be able to figure out your own limits. It might be best if you avoid smoke for now. Even with your BA equipment, you might find it a struggle."

"Understood. Are you going to make this restriction official?"

"No, but I will be advising Station Officer Steele of my decision."

"Okay. Can I go now?"

"Yes. And Sam? I know you're 'just doing your job', but even heroes have their limitations. Remember that."

I nodded. Just them, a warning alarm started to sound. I knew from the tone that it meant that Neptune was being brought back up the launching ramp. I went over to the control panel to assist in the tricky manoeuvre.

Once Neptune was back inside the Ocean Rescue Centre, I pulled the lever to close the roller door. Ben and Elvis climbed out of Neptune, and they removed their life vests.

"Hannah is now safe and sound," Ben told me. He frowned when he saw Helen packing up her equipment. "How about you, Sam?"

"I'll be fine, thanks to you," I replied, smiling slightly. "I really appreciate your help."

"You're welcome, Sam. I'm just glad you're all right."

I gave Ben's shoulder a friendly pat before I made my way out of the Ocean Rescue Centre. The quay was still a hive of activity, but this time everyone was swarmed around Joe's submarine, so I was able to quietly make my get away aboard Mercury before anyone spotted me.

When I arrived back at the fire station, I found Station Officer Steele waiting for me on the landing outside the Control Room.

"I've just had a call from Helen…"

"I know. I'm unofficially restricted to light duties. Sorry, sir."

Station Officer Steele shook his head slightly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sam. You were carrying out your responsibilities as leading fireman. You do remember what that responsibility is, don't you?"

"To ensure that the public and my fellow firefighters are safe at all times, sir," I replied spontaneously.

"And that's exactly what you did. Even though it meant risking your own life."

I sighed. "Could we go into your office please, sir? There's a few important things I need to discuss with you."

"Oh, okay."

Once we were alone in the privacy of the Control Room, I began. "There are two things I need to talk to you about, sir. The first is that we really need to train someone else as a qualified scuba diver. That way, if Penny does require back-up, or we need a scuba diver on her days off, we'll be fine."

"I quite agree, Sam. I was rather hoping you'd be willing to do the training."

I sighed. _That's exactly what I was afraid of…_ "With all due respect, sir, I think maybe Ellie or Arnold should have the training. Scuba diving isn't something I'm sure I'd be good at."

"And yet free diving is?"

"Eh…" I couldn't really think of a reply to that. "Well… You see… I, er… It was an emergency…"

Station Officer Steele chuckled, and he briefly placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Sam. I understand. Time to sit back and let the youngsters learn a few tricks, eh?" And he chuckled.

I glanced at a photo of the old fire station that was hanging on the wall. "I wouldn't say that, sir. I just have my reasons for not wanting to learn. Anyway, I have something else to tell you. While I was rescuing Penny, we found an old shipwreck, sir."

"Yes, Penny's already told me about it. I suppose I'd better inform Newtown museum…"

"Actually, sir, I was wondering if we might be able to salvage some of the items from the wreck first? They might be able to help us identify the wreck."

"Hmm… Good idea, Sam. But I'll have to ask the museum about that first, to see what they think. There might be a special method of retrieving the items."

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, of course. I didn't think of that. I'll leave you to it then, sir."

…

About half an hour later, Penny and I were busy cleaning some of the rescue equipment inside the garage, when Station Officer Steele joined us.

"How are you both feeling now?"

"I think we've both recovered now, sir," Penny replied, and she winked at me.

"What did the museum say?" I asked.

"They want us to retrieve whatever objects we can from the wreck," Station Officer Steele replied. "The President of the Newtown Museum is coming here tomorrow afternoon to examine the items we find. So, you'll have to dive for them early tomorrow morning. You two are more familiar with the history of Pontypandy than I am. Which wreck do you think it is?"

"Well, sir, there haven't been many unsolved wrecks off this stretch of coastland," I replied. "So, I believe it is the wreck of the Pontypandy Pearl."

"What makes you so sure, Sam?" Penny asked.

"The pirate flag. How many other pirate ships do you know about that were wrecked off our coastline?"

"Uh… None."

"Exactly."

"Well, until we know for sure, please keep this to yourselves," Station Officer Steele warned.

"Yes, sir," I agreed. _Everyone will go crazy if they knew we'd possibly found the wreck of the Pontypandy Pearl._

"Of course, sir," Penny also agreed.

"How would you like us to co-ordinate the salvage, sir?" I asked.

"Why don't we go upstairs and plan it over a cup of tea?" Station Officer Steele suggested.

Before long, the three of us were gathered around the kitchen table, planning out how we were going to salvage items from the wreck. Elvis was in the kitchen, cooking our lunch. All of a sudden, we heard the alarms going off.

 _That's strange_ , I thought. _There's no one in the Control Room. Unless Norman's playing a trick on us…_

" _This is Chief Fire Officer Boyce_ ," our boss announced over the loudspeakers. " _Turnout drill, now! And I am timing you!_ "

Penny, Elvis and I immediately dashed across the room to the fireman's poles, and we slid down them in an orderly manner. Turnout drills were common in city fire brigades, but they were rare out here in the country. In the city, they happened on an average of once a month, but here we were lucky to get one turnout drill a year. Basically, we had just twenty seconds to get downstairs, put on out firefighting uniforms and get into the vehicles. We had to behave as if we were leaving for a real callout.

"Penny, take Venus," I instructed as I put on my uniform. "Elvis, you come with me in Jupiter."

Penny and Elvis did as I'd instructed. I clipped on my helmet just before I leapt into Jupiter's cab and started her up. I didn't bother to activate the siren because just as Penny and I were about to drive our respective vehicles out of the garage, Chief Fire Officer Boyce appeared, and he held up his clipboard to stop us.

"All right! Stand down, firefighters!" he ordered. "And fall into parade."

Minutes later, Station Officer Steele, Penny, Elvis and I were lined up and standing at attention in front of the garage. Chief Fire Officer Boyce paced in front of us, inspecting each of us in turn. He was ensuring we had our uniforms on correctly, and that nothing was missing. Finally, he turned to face Station Officer Steele.

"Where are Firefighters McKinley and Phillips?"

"They're on a rostered day off, sir."

"I see… Well, congratulations on passing the turnout drill exercise. You completed it in just eighteen seconds. I'm impressed. What I'm not impressed with, however, is the disaster that happened this morning. Yes, I know all about it, and that's why I came straight down here. Station Officer Steele and Leading Fireman Jones. Fall out, and go and wait for me upstairs in the Control Room."

"Uh, oh!" I heard Elvis mutter.

Station Officer Steele and I promptly spun ninety degrees on our heels and we fell out of the parade. Inside the garage, I quickly removed my firefighting uniform and I put it back on the uniform rack before I hurried upstairs.

"How did Chief Fire Officer Boyce find out about what happened this morning so quickly?" I asked Station Officer Steele when I joined him inside the Control Room.

"I had to phone him to tell him that my two most senior officers were potentially unfit for duty," Station Officer Steele replied. "Prepare yourself, Sam. I know Boyce means business when he's like this. He's going to try and intimidate us. Just stay calm, and everything should be okay."

At that moment, Chief Fire Officer Boyce joined us. He almost slammed the door shut. I cringed when he slammed his clipboard down on the desk.

"Stand at attention, Leading Fireman Jones!"

I obeyed. Chief Fire Officer Boyce sighed as he slumped down into the chair behind the desk.

"I must start off by saying that if what Station Officer Steele reported is true, I'm bitterly disappointed in you, Sam. I want you to tell me exactly what happened this morning."

I hesitated for a moment while I gathered my thoughts. "Well, sir, we were called out to rescue Joe Sparkes after his homemade submarine ran out of power. Penny…I mean, Firefighter Morris, and Coastguard Hooper are the only members of the watch who are qualified in scuba diving. Since Fireman Criddlington is not qualified to drive Titan, Coastguard Hooper had to stay at the helm. We managed to get the submarine to the surface, and Joe told me that Firefighter Morris was in trouble. I made the decision to free-dive down to rescue her. Firefighter Morris shared her oxygen with me, but we'd only just made it back to the surface when her oxygen ran out. We've both been assessed by Nurse Flood, and she's declared Firefighter Morris fit for duty, while I'm unofficially restricted to light duties for a few days to ensure I make a full recovery."

While I'd been speaking, Chief Fire Officer Boyce had written down the important notes. Once he'd finished, he looked up at me again.

"I have some questions, Sam. As leading fireman, you're aware that you're responsible for the safety of your colleagues."

"Of course, sir."

"So, why did you send Firefighter Morris down to rescue Joe Sparkes without any form of back-up? Ben Hooper could've dived with her. You're qualified to drive Titan, so you could've been at the helm until they returned."

I groaned inwardly. "In hindsight, sir, that would've been better. I wish I'd thought of it."

Chief Fire Officer Boyce slammed his fist down on the desk, making Station Officer Steele and I jump in surprise. Chief Fire Officer Boyce leapt to his feet.

"I wish you'd thought of it too, Leading Fireman Jones! This is YOUR failing, and it nearly cost you your life, as well as that of Firefighter Morris! You cannot keep doing reckless acts like this! You might have managed to get away with it in the past, but things are different now. Coastguard rules state that all scuba dives MUST be carried out in pairs, just in case someone gets into difficulties. I understand the limitations of this brigade, but that's no excuse for blatantly ignoring the rules! What have you got to say for yourself?"

"I apologise for not carrying out my duties and responsibilities properly, sir," I replied humbly. For once, I couldn't make eye contact with my boss. I felt so guilty as the full implications of what could have happened finally hit home. Helen's words came racing back to me even as I spoke. ' _I know you're 'just doing your job', but even heroes have their limitations._ ' I sighed sadly. "I can now see what I've done wrong, and I promise to never repeat this lapse. I'll also accept whatever punishment you feel is appropriate for my actions. This was entirely my own fault, and I accept that."

Chief Fire Officer Boyce nodded his acceptance of my apology. "Of course, I have every right to demote you as leading fireman. Officers have been sacked for less than this, you know. However, you are one of the few firefighters I have on my books who has a clean service record, so I'm going to go easy on you this time. I'm going to issue you with an official warning from the fire service, and I'm going to fine you a quarter of your wages for the next four weeks. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir," I whispered.

"All right, you may go now, Leading Fireman Jones. I hope that we never have to have this discussion again. Stay right where you are, Station Officer Steele. You're next."

I saluted Chief Fire Officer Boyce before I walked quickly out of the Control Room. Penny was waiting for me on the landing.

"You made it out alive then?" she quipped.

"Only just," I muttered. Then I exhaled deeply. "I've never seen him so furious in my life!"

"I heard the shouting. It wasn't your fault, you know. I know the risks of scuba diving."

Penny and I started to head upstairs together. "I know, but I'm still held accountable for whatever happens during a callout. It's my job to look out for you, and I didn't. I'm really sorry."

"Look, it's okay, Sam. You don't have to apologise to me. Did he punish you?"

"Yes, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. I was lucky not to be demoted."

Elvis overheard the last of what I'd just said as we entered the kitchen area. "Who's not being demoted?"

"Sam," Penny replied.

"Chief Fire Officer Boyce gave me an official warning and a fine for not carrying out correct health and safety procedures this morning. Now he's laying into Station Officer Steele."

"Oh, no!" Elvis gasped. "What do you think will happen to Station Officer Steele, Sam?"

"Nothing, I hope. He'll probably just get a scolding for not having enough of us trained in scuba diving."

"Should we listen in, Sam?" Penny asked with a wink.

"No, Penny. And I think it would be best if I'm not around when Chief Fire Officer Boyce leaves. You should probably stay out of sight when he leaves too. Otherwise, he might just decide to scold you as well."

"Point taken, Sam."

"Would you like anything to drink, Sam?" Elvis offered.

"Just a nice strong cup of tea, thanks Elvis."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.**

Chapter 4

That evening, after I'd finished work for the day, I walked down to the quay to watch the sunset. A cool breeze floated around me, making me feel a little cold, but it was a welcome relief after everything that had occurred that day. The sun had almost set when Charlie joined me.

"It's quite a view, isn't it?"

"Yes," I agreed.

"Bronwyn wanted to know if you'd like to join us for dinner."

"I suppose I could. Thanks."

Charlie turned and he gave Bronwyn, who was inside the café, a thumbs-up to indicate that I'd agreed to stay for dinner. He then turned his attention back to me.

"What you did today was very heroic. Joe said you didn't even hesitate before you dived in. You're bound to get another bravery medal for sure!"

I sighed sadly. "You're wrong, Charlie. I got a fine and a warning from Chief Fire Officer Boyce."

Charlie gasped in disbelief. "What? He must be mad! You're a hero, Sam! You saved Penny's life!"

"For the last time, I am NOT a hero, Charlie! In fact, I was very lucky I didn't get demoted."

"I don't understand, Sam."

I drew in a deep breath, and I stared down at my hands, which were grasping the railing in front of me. "I broke the rules, Charlie. Penny nearly died because I didn't follow basic health and safety procedures."

"But surely, that's Penny's fault…"

"No, Charlie. I am the leading fireman, so if something goes wrong during a callout, I'm the one who's held responsible. That's just how things are in the fire service. Yes, Station Officer Steele did get warned for not having enough of us trained in scuba diving, but I should've told Ben to make the dive with Penny. There was no reason why I couldn't have driven Titan instead of Ben." I sighed despondently.

"Oh. I see," Charlie muttered. "How much is the fine?"

"A quarter of my wages for the next four weeks. And don't even think about offering me financial assistance, Charlie. You have a family to support. I'll be fine. I have some savings, so I shouldn't be any worse off than I currently am. I don't need much anyway."

Charlie placed an arm around my shoulders and he pulled me closer to him. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't understand. And I'm sorry you got into trouble."

"At least I've learned my lesson. I'm going to be much more careful from now on. I'm getting too old to be taking these kinds of risks anyway."

"You're not that old, Sam! Otherwise, what does that make me?"

"Ancient history," I teased. Charlie took a swipe at me, but I managed to dart out of the way.

"Well, I do have to admit that your reflexes are sharper than mine," Charlie said with a chuckle.

"Charlie! Sam!" Bronwyn called from the doorway of the café. "Dinner's ready!"

"We'll settle this later over a game of Tiddlywinks," Charlie said.

"You're on!"

…

The following morning, I woke up a little bit earlier than usual, so I could send out an email before I went to work. This is what I wrote while I sipped on my morning cup of tea:

 _Re: Correct scuba diving operations._

 _After the events that occurred during a coastguard rescue yesterday, it is my duty as leading fireman to inform all coastguard personnel that from this moment on all scuba dives MUST be carried out by at least two qualified divers. Solo dives will no longer be permitted under any circumstances. Any member of the coastguard who makes a solo dive during a callout will be severely disciplined in accordance with coastguard procedures._

 _Please make sure you confirm that you've received this email, or I'll keep sending it to you until you do!_

I sent the email off to Station Officer Steele, Ben, Penny, Elvis and Tom. I didn't need to send it to anyone else, because they weren't qualified in the coastguard, so it didn't apply to them.

About fifteen minutes later, I entered the fire station, and I signed on for work inside the Control Room. Station Officer Steele entered just as I'd put the pen down.

"Morning, Sam. Are you ready to lead the team in the big salvage operation?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent! Well, you'll have Penny and Elvis with you, so Ellie and Arnold will be on duty with me here."

I frowned thoughtfully. "I think I'll take Mercury and Juno today, just in case I need to get back quickly."

Station Officer Steele nodded his approval. "Good idea! Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sam, you can relax. I know we both had a good ticking off from Chief Fire Officer Boyce yesterday, but you don't need to be quite so serious now."

I nodded slightly, but I still didn't relax. "I think we'd better get going. I'll contact you once we've managed to salvage as much as we can."

"Okay, Sam. And please don't do anything risky. You gave me a huge fright yesterday."

"I'll try not to, sir."

…

Before long, Ben, Penny, Elvis and I were on our way out to Pontypandy Island. I rode Juno, while Ben drove Titan. I'd ensured that we had several spare oxygen tanks with us this time, since I was sure we would need them. When we arrived at the wreck site, I secured Juno alongside Titan before climbing aboard.

"All right, Ben and Penny. I want you both to stay together and be careful. If it is the wreck of the Pontypandy Pearl, it'll be almost two-hundred years old, so the wood will be extremely delicate. One wrong move could send a pile of it crashing down on top of you."

"We know the risks, Sam," Ben said as he pulled on his scuba diving tank.

"It doesn't hurt to be reminded though, does it?" I said. "Now, have you double-checked everything?"

"Yes, Sam," Ben and Penny replied in unison.

"Let me just check it as well."

While I was going over their scuba diving gear, Penny and Ben started whispering to each other.

"What's bitten him this morning?" Ben asked.

"He got a severe telling off from Chief Fire Officer Boyce after yesterday's drama."

"Oh!"

"Okay, you're both clear to dive," I said a bit louder than I intended to.

Ben and Penny put on their face masks before they flipped backwards out of Titan. When they resurfaced, they gave me the 'okay' signal with their hands. I returned the signal. Then, they disappeared into the murky water.

"What do you want me to do, Sam?" Elvis asked.

I handed him a pen and a notebook. "Take notes about everything they bring back. State what each item is, its condition and where it was located within the wreck. Ben and Penny will tell you that last detail."

About ten minutes later, Ben and Penny surfaced carrying a few bits and pieces from the wreck. They handed the items up to Elvis and myself before they removed their masks.

"There's an old writing desk and a cannon down there, Sam," Penny reported. "We'll need the winch to bring them up."

"Okay, I'll pass it down to you," I said, and I went over to the winch. "Do you both have enough oxygen to make another dive?"

"Yes, Sam," Ben and Penny replied in unison again.

"Okay, here's the winch. See if you can bring up the flag too. Be very careful with it though. The fabric could tear easily."

"Okay, Sam," Penny replied as she took hold of the winch. She replaced her face mask before diving beneath the surface. Ben followed her.

While we waited for Ben and Penny to return, Elvis and I started cataloguing the first few items. There was an earthenware decanter, a rusty sword, a lantern and a rusted metal jug.

"I don't think any of this stuff will be able to help us identify the wreck, Sam," Elvis said as he dried the decanter.

"You're wrong, Elvis. That decanter is of great importance."

Elvis didn't look convinced. "I can't see anything special about it."

"The Pontypandy Pearl sank during a storm in 1832. If that decanter can be dated to that time period, then we'll know it's the Pontypandy Pearl."

"But I thought decanters were made from glass?"

"Usually, yes. But if you're constantly at sea, pottery is less likely to break if it falls. Wine was worth a lot of money back then, so Pontypandy Pete wouldn't have wanted to spill a drop."

An alert sounded inside the cabin, so I went to attend to it. The alert was Ben and Penny's signal to start activating the winch. I turned the knob, and the winch began to wind.

By noon, Ben and Penny had retrieved as much as they could from the wreck. The wooden shell was far too delicate to be brought to the surface, so it had been left at the bottom of the ocean for now.

"Good work, everyone," I praised as Ben and Penny removed their scuba diving gear. They'd gone through three tanks of oxygen each, but I was just relieved that the dive had gone well. "I'll just radio Station Officer Steele to let him know that we're on our way back." I returned inside the cabin and I picked up the handset. "Fireman Sam to Station Officer Steele, come in."

" _Reading you, Sam. Go ahead._ "

"We've just finished the salvage operation, and we're about to head back to shore."

" _Good work, Sam. I'll meet you at the Ocean Rescue Centre._ "

"Copy that, sir. Out."

"Hey, Sam!" Penny called. "Come and take a look at this!"

I put the handset back on its hook, before I joined Penny at Titan's stern. She held up a large metal platter.

"Look at what's inscribed in the centre," Penny said as she handed it to me.

I looked closely. The inscription was difficult to make out, but it was definitely writing. Elvis and Ben leaned over my shoulders too try and see it too.

"I can't read that," Ben said. "Can you, Sam?"

"It's not English," I replied. I carefully scratched a bit of the rust away. "It's Welsh. Look, you can just make out a Celtic cross in the centre."

"What does it say, Sam?" Elvis asked excitedly.

"Most of it's been eroded away by the rust, but I think I can make out a few words on this side… i'r Mhontypandy Perl."

Penny gasped. "Sam! It doesn't really say that, does it?"

"Mae'n yno mewn Cymraeg plaen," I replied.

Excited, Penny snatched the platter out of my hands. "Gadewch i mi weld!"

"Huh? What did you just say, Sam? I don't get it," Ben said with a shrug.

"The writing on the platter says, 'to the Pontypandy Pearl," I explained. "So, that confirms that this shipwreck must be the Pontypandy Pearl!"

"Oh, wow!" Elvis exclaimed. "We've found it!"

"We'd better get back to shore," Ben said. "The President from the museum will definitely be interested in this!"

I climbed aboard Juno and Elvis untied her for me. "I'll meet you back at the Ocean Rescue Centre!" I called as I started up Juno. Then, I took off heading towards the shore. Ben started up Titan, and he followed along behind me.

When we arrived back at the Ocean Rescue Centre, we carefully moved the artefacts upstairs, and we placed them in an area on the quay that Station Officer Steele had marked out for us. I gave Station Officer Steele the list of the items we'd recovered, and he checked to ensure that they were all accounted for. Joe, Hannah, Bronwyn, Helen, Dilys, Mrs Chen and Lily soon gathered around the tape to see what was going on. We didn't mind them looking, as long as they stayed outside the tape. Then, I saw Norman, Mandy, James and Sarah run over to us.

"Keep back, everyone!" Station Officer Steele ordered as soon as he saw the kids. "This is a very delicate historical find."

"Where?" Norman asked, looking around. "Is it behind that nasty, stinky pile of rubbish?"

"That 'nasty, stinky pile of old rubbish', Norman, is the wreck of the Pontypandy Pearl!" I corrected. _How dare he! What are they teaching kids in history these days? Surely, he didn't expect us to find everything intact?_

"The Pontypandy Pearl?" Sarah asked scrupulously. She didn't sound convinced that it was.

"Did you find the treasure map?" Norman demanded to know.

"No, Norman!" Penny replied with a small chuckle. "Well, not yet, anyway."

Station Officer Steele cleared his throat. "Ahem! Thank you. People of Pontypandy, in celebration of our historical find, I hereby declare tomorrow, Pontypandy Pete Day!"

The kids and most of the adults started cheering and applauding. I just stood there quietly, too tired to really care. The last day-and-a-half had been mentally exhausting for me, and all I wanted was a quiet afternoon. So, I wasn't exactly enthralled in the idea of having a Pontypandy Pete Day.

"I bet if I rummage through this lot, I could find that treasure map," I heard Norman mutter to himself.

"Er, no-one's rummaging through anything, Norman Price!" I told him sternly as I removed my helmet. I went over to him, so I could get my point across. "The president of Newtown Museum is on his way to Pontypandy now."

"Who's that?" Norman asked with a whine of disappointment.

"Never you mind," I retorted. "And I want you to stay well out of the way while he's here. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Fireman Sam," Norman muttered. Then, thinking that I wasn't listening to him anymore, he nudged Mandy. "What is he so cranky about?"

"I heard mum telling dad last night that Chief Fire Officer Boyce yelled at Sam yesterday," Mandy whispered in reply.

"Oh!"

"Sam?" Station Officer Steele called. I turned to face him.

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to go and fetch the Mobile Command Unit from Newtown, please. I'm going to have these artefacts moved into the park, where we can protect them inside a marquee. It'll be easier for us to keep an eye of them if we have the Mobile Command Unit with us."

 _Oh, daro! He's only sending me because he doesn't want to have to deal with Chief Fire Officer Boyce again so soon… I guess that's the disadvantage of being subordinate._

"Yes, sir. I'll go straight after I've had my lunch. And I think I'll take Arnold with me. He needs to spend more time driving Venus."

"Good thinking, Sam," Station Officer Steele approved.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.**

Chapter 5

"Do you want me to do anything special when we get to Newtown, Sam?" Arnold asked me as he drove Venus down the Newtown Road.

"Just keep the motor running and prepare for a fast get-away," I replied. "With any luck, I won't even have to see Chief Fire Officer Boyce."

"And Murphy's Law says that he'll be standing right out in the yard as soon as we arrive."

I groaned. "Please don't jinx me, Arnold! I'm going to try and avoid Chief Fire Officer Boyce at all costs."

"You can't avoid him forever, Sam."

"I know… But it won't be so bad once I've managed to redeem myself."

A few minutes later, we arrived at the Newtown Fire Station. I was relieved to see that the yard was empty. Leaving Arnold with Venus, I hurried inside the fire station.

"I'm Leading Fireman Jones from the Pontypandy brigade," I told the Station Officer. "I'm here to collect the Mobile Command Unit."

"Very good. I'll just get you to complete these forms, and then you can be on your way."

I took the clipboard he offered to me, and I started to fill out the first form. "Is Chief Fire Officer Boyce around?"

"No, he's in Cardiff today for meetings. He won't be back until tomorrow. Did you want to speak to him?"

"No. On the contrary, I'm trying to avoid him."

"Ah! Get into his 'bad books', did you? Well, we've all been there. Never mind. His bark is worse than his bite."

"Yeah, well… 'Once bitten, twice shy', right? I'm not usually on the sharp end of his tongue. Here are those forms back."

"Great, thank you! And here are the keys. The MCU is in bay six. And, uh… I won't mention to Chief Fire Officer Boyce that you were here, unless he asks."

"Thanks. Much appreciated."

I left the reception area, and I went over to bay six. Sure enough, the Mobile Command Unit was parked in there, all ready to go. After I'd ensured that everything had been locked and secured on the outside, I climbed into the cab and I started it up. Seeing that I had the Mobile Command Unit, Arnold started driving Venus out of the yard. I followed him.

Half an hour later, we arrived back in Pontypandy. While Arnold went to park Venus inside the fire station, I drove the Mobile Command Unit down into the park, and I parked it near where Mike had just finished erecting a large marquee. Station Officer Steele walked over to me.

"Is this all right for you here, sir?" I asked from inside the cab.

"Yes, that'll do," Station Officer Steele agreed. "Thank you, Sam. Did you see Chief Fire Officer Boyce?"

"No. He's in Cardiff for the day." I climbed down from the cab.

"Oh. Well, why don't you head back up to the station now? I'll manage things down here."

"Okay, sir. I've left the keys in the ignition."

Station Officer Steele waved his hand dismissively. "Thanks, Sam. Go and have your lunch. I'll come and join you shortly, after I've made sure the Professor is comfortable. Please see to it that Elvis has a nice hot cup of tea ready for me."

…

Shortly after lunch, Station Officer Steele, Penny, Elvis, Arnold, Ellie and I were just getting settled for what we hoped would be a quiet afternoon, when the alarms went off.

" _Norman Price is dangling from the statue in Pontypandy Park!_ " Station Officer Steele announced over the loudspeakers.

"I'll just take Arnold," I told the others as we stood up. "And we'll take Jupiter."

"Roger that, Sam," Arnold replied.

Within minutes, Arnold and I had arrived at the park. Using the extending ladder, I was easily able to pull Norman to safety.

"What on earth were you doing up there, Norman?" I asked as Arnold brought the ladder back down for us.

"I was looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure," Norman replied innocently.

I sighed. "Well, make sure you do it safely."

"We will!" Norman promised.

However, less than an hour later, we received another emergency callout. Since Station Officer Steele back down at the park, I took care of responding to the alert.

"Norman Price has fallen headfirst into a foxhole," the Map Screen-700 told me.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone all the way through to Wonderland," I muttered to myself as I hit the alarm. "I think that was a rabbit hole though…" I put on the headset. "Fireman Sam to Station Officer Steele. Come in, please."

" _Reading you, Sam._ "

"We've just had a callout to rescue Norman Price from a foxhole. I think this is a one-person job, sir. Permission to respond alone, sir? I'll call for back-up if I need it."

" _Of course, Sam. Just be careful._ "

"I will, sir."

I removed the headset and I placed it back down on the desk, before I hurried downstairs. The others were already in the garage, waiting for instructions.

"It's a solo callout!" I told them as I hurried over to Venus. "I'll call for back-up if I need it."

"Okay, Sam," Penny agreed.

I climbed into Venus, and I started her up. After I'd activated the siren, I drove away towards the Newtown Road.

Gareth waved me down somewhere between Pontypandy and the old wishing well. He opened a gate for me, so I could park Venus off the road.

"He's just over here, Sam," Gareth said as I got out of Venus.

I jogged over to where Nipper was barking at Norman's flailing legs.

"HELP! I'm stuck!"

"Hold still, Norman," I instructed. Norman stopped kicking, and I grabbed hold of his legs. Surprisingly, it didn't take much effort on my behalf to pull him free. "I wouldn't call this very 'safe', Norman Price," I scolded the boy as I held him upside-down by his legs. Norman waved sheepishly up at me.

"Sorry, Fireman Sam. I tripped over Nipper. Erm… Could you put me down now, please?"

Although I was tempted to drop the silly boy on his head, I set him down gently on his back. "I think you should go home now, Norman," I told him firmly. "I'm tired, and I don't want to have to rescue you again today because of your foolishness."

"Oh. Okay, Fireman Sam," Norman replied sadly. And he started to walk back to town.

I suddenly felt a bit guilty for speaking to him so harshly, so I called him back. "Norman!"

"Yes, Fireman Sam?"

"Come on. I'll give you a lift home in Venus."

"Yay! Thank you, Fireman Sam!"

…

The next morning, Pontypandy Pete Day began. Charlie had decided to offer boat tours in the harbour, while Bronwyn had made some of her new 'Sharky Nibbles'. They were similar to her Fishy Nibbles, but these ones had pepper mixed into the crumb. I know, because she'd tested them out on me the other night when I'd had dinner with the family. They weren't bad, but then again, I quite liked having pepper on my food, and I was used to it, so I didn't mind the heat. Anyway, Mike was organising a short play commemorating Pontypandy Pete, and he was busy making the scenery.

Meanwhile at the fire station, I'd tasked Penny with carrying out the training exercise I'd been trying to get done for several days now. I'd have led the exercise myself, but Station Officer Steele wouldn't let me lead any training drills until Helen was satisfied that my lungs had fully recovered. And so, I found myself helping him organise the safety aspects for Pontypandy Pete Day.

"So, all the preparations for Pontypandy Pete Day seem to be full-steam ahead! Eh, Sam?" Station Officer Steele declared as we left the Control Room and headed downstairs.

"They do indeed, sir," I agreed half-heartedly. I really wanted to be outside with my colleagues, instead of being cooped up inside all day.

"But the one thing that would top it all off is if I could get someone to play the part of Pontypandy Pete," Station Officer Steele continued. "I don't suppose you'd erm… You know?"

 _Uh oh!_ "Oohh, you mean, me?" I had to laugh at that. "No, no! Sorry, sir. Acting's not really my cup of tea."

"Maybe we could get one of the team to do it?" Station Officer Steele suggested. I think he must have realised that no amount of begging would be able to persuade me to do any acting this time.

"Maybe, sir. But I think they might be a bit busy with their training drills."

We'd just emerged outside in time to hear Elvis and Arnold bickering loudly.

"No! This is how you do a Pontypandy Pete voice, Arnold… A-hawr! Arr-rarrar!"

"No, Elvis. It's like this. Huh-arr! Hehe! Arr-rrr!"

I was surprised. "Um, would anyone like to try…putting out that fire?" I asked, indicating to the fire that was coming from the first floor of the training tower. Penny had at least started the drill by lighting it.

"Avast behind!" Elvis shouted, completely ignoring me. Just then, Penny and Ellie jogged across the yard.

"Ah! At least we have two firefighters who might be interested in doing the job in hand!" I said to Station Officer Steele. Then I laughed, trying to make light of the situation, despite knowing that the complete lack of disorder would be blamed on me. Station Officer Steele really didn't look impressed.

"Yo-ho-ho! And a har-har! Ar!" Penny growled at the boys, giving her best imitation of a pirate.

"Har! Repel forgers on the starboard side!" Ellie added.

Groaning in disbelief, I rolled my eyes. "Or maybe not."

Elvis laughed at the girls. "You two can't be Pontypandy Pete! You're girls!"

"Ha! I think we'd make great Pontypandy Petes', actually Elvis!" Ellie retorted.

Then the four of them started making loud pirate noises to see who was the loudest. Realising that they'd forgotten all about doing the drill I'd assigned to them, I picked up the nearest fire hose, and I started putting out the training fire myself. After all, the last thing I wanted to see was the training tower going up in flames. I shook my head in disbelief. "This is going to be a long day!"

"Sam, I want a word with you in my office when you're done," Station Officer Steele said loudly enough to silence the rest of the team. With the fire now out, I shut off the hose. Penny quickly stepped forward in front of Station Officer Steele.

"Don't blame Sam, sir. I was the one leading this drill, so the lack of discipline is my fault entirely. I'm sorry I let things get out of control. We should've been concentrating on the drill, and not who was going to play Pontypandy Pete."

Station Officer Steele sternly turned to face all of us. "It seems that Pontypandy Pete Day has gone to everyone's heads! I shouldn't have to remind you that despite the occasion, you're all on duty. As punishment, I want you to run ten laps around the fire station. Off you go, now! Not you, Sam. I don't want you running with your strained lungs. You can put that hose away instead."

"Yes, sir." And I crouched down to disconnect the nozzle. "I'm sorry for the chaos, sir. It won't happen again."

"It better not, Sam, or I could put you on a charge. But Penny is right. It was her responsibility to oversee this drill, not you. When you've put that hose away, I want you to have a rest. And that is an order."

Sighing heavily, I started to roll up the hose.

 **A few points I'd like to raise:**

 **PLEASE ADOPT - Will you kindly please stop making story requests. This is your first and last warning. If you'd bothered to read my bio. you would see very clearly that as a rule, I do not accept request stories. I only accepted Octo's requests because I'd already started/planned stories along her line of thinking. Needless to say, they are NOT my best work, and I'm not sure I'll ever finish one of them. I write very select genres, and none of your suggestions fit into that criteria. I suggest you go and read some more of my work before you make any more suggestions.**

 **The same applies to** DoraemonYummyBun2012 **. I CANNOT write a rewrite story on one that doesn't exist yet. The whole point in my 'Through Sam's Eyes' series is to rewrite the movies and special episodes entirely from Sam's POV. So, I'm sorry, but I have to reject your idea as well.**

 **I'll say this one last time - PLEASE DO NOT SUGGEST STORIES IDEAS TO ME UNLESS IT FITS MY CRITERIA/GENRE. And IF on the rarest of occasions that I do decide to take up your idea, please DON'T keep saying that 'it's good'. That is NOT feedback. Honestly, the majority of readers on this fandom seem to have no idea how to write a good review, and that is a BIG turnoff. Unless things drastically improve, I am planning to complete all of my unfinished stories on this fandom, and then I'll quit it. It simply it's worth my time and effort writing something that brings in little to no reward. I'd rather write for people who actually appreciate the art of writing complex stories.**

 **And that brings me to my next point. Kianna, you're the idiot for not understanding how rank and authority works! You have just made yourself look utterly incompetent for what you wrote. FYI, a Chief Fire Officer is the HIGHEST rank in the UK Fire Service. As a Leading Firefighter, Sam is the SECOND LOWEST RANK. There are at least TEN ranks between Sam and Boyce! SAM IGNORED BASIC SCUBA DIVING SAFETY PROCEDURES IN THIS EPISODE. Anyone who's done scuba diving knows that the first rule is that you NEVER dive solo, in case you or your partner gets into trouble. Sam thoroughly DESERVED the punishment he got! Yes, he's a hero, but he is also 100% HUMAN, and he does make mistakes from time to time. I would suggest that you watch the episode for yourself before you go making stupid comments like that. I have seen the episode several times - that's how I know what happens.**

 **I am NOT sorry for being so blunt and honest for once. Honestly, I have tried my best to be patient with everyone, but my patience is running very thin right now. If I didn't love writing so much, I would give up on this fandom right now, and leave you all with several incomplete stories. I don't want to have to spell it out to you again, so I'll be very blunt to finish up...**

 **THIS IS THE WORST FANDOM I'VE EVER WRITTEN FOR ON FANFICTION! From now on, I'll have just two rules:**

 **If anyone posts a review asking for updates immediately after I've publish a new chapter, the review WILL BE DELETED AND YOU WILL BE BLOCKED.**

 **If anyone makes an unsolicited story request (ie, via a review), YOUR IDEA WILL BE DELETED. Unsolicited story ideas will only be considered via PM ONLY.**

 **If you can't follow that, you're obviously too young to be on FanFiction.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.**

Chapter 6

After I'd finished putting away the fire hose, I went upstairs to the Control Room, to see if Station Officer Steele needed anymore help.

"Sam? I thought I'd ordered you to rest," Station Officer Steele said sternly.

"I am, sir," I replied. "I don't have to be asleep to be resting."

"Oh. Right. Well, I was wondering if you'd mind staying on duty here this afternoon, with Ellie? Obviously, I do need to be down at the quay for Pontypandy Pete day, since it was my-"

Station Officer Steele was interrupted by an alert coming through on the Map Screen-700. I got to the button first.

"Norman Price and the Professor have fallen through a hole in the ground, looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure," the Map Screen-700 reported.

 _Oh, no! Not again, Norman!_

Station Officer Steele turned to look at me. "Norman Price and the Professor have fall-"

"Fallen through a hole in the ground looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure," I finished. _Why am I standing around here?_ I slammed my hand down on the red button, triggering the fire station's alarms. Then, I ran downstairs before Station Officer Steele could stop me.

Penny and Elvis were just sliding down the fireman's poles when I entered the garage. We all put on our uniforms. Then, Penny and I grabbed our caving helmets out of our lockers. I got onto Mercury, while Penny and Elvis took Venus.

" _Sam!_ " Station Officer Steele snapped at me over the radio as I raced Mercury down the Newtown Road. " _Be careful! Remember you limits._ "

"Don't worry, sir. I know what I'm doing this time."

Station Officer Steele sighed heavily before ceasing communication with me. I knew he was worried, but cave rescues were something I'd had plenty of experience with, so I wasn't worried. As far as I was concerned, this rescue would be relatively straight-forward. Especially since Norman had an adult with him this time, so I hoped that they wouldn't wonder too far into the cave.

Before long, we'd arrived at the scene near the ruins. I parked Mercury in front of a very large hole in the ground. Penny parked Venus next to Mercury, and she and Elvis got out. Taking care, Penny approached the edge of the hole and looked in.

"Looks like one of the old mine shafts," she reported.

"Okay, Penny. We'll search the caves." I grabbed hold of Venus' winch. "Elvis, you lower us down on the winch."

Elvis sprang into action. "Roger that, Sam," he and Penny replied in unison.

"We'd better test the air quality first," I said, grabbing the test kit of out Venus. To my surprise, the air was clear of poisonous gasses. "That's strange. There must be another opening allowing fresh air into the caves."

"We don't have time to worry about that now, Sam," Penny said as she placed a harness over my head. Then she pulled on her emergency backpack. "Let's just go down there and rescue them."

Using the winch, Elvis carefully lowered us into the mine. "Thanks, Elvis!" I called up the shaft, although I don't believe he heard me. Penny turned on her headlight and she looked around in the dimness. She spotted some old narrow-gauge railway tracks leading away down a tunnel.

"Tracks go this way, Sam."

I turned on my headlight as I hurried after her. If I had to be lost in a cave with someone, I preferred it to be with Penny. I trusted her implicitly when it came to caving, so I stuck as close as possible to her. While I'd never told anyone about my fear of being underground, I was sure Penny knew of it. After all, it was difficult to hide my lack of certainty and agitation as soon as I got underground. Luckily, Penny never said anything about it.

"WHAAA-HAA-HAA!"

Penny and I froze.

"What's that horrible noise?" Penny wondered.

I listened closely to the screaming. "That's Norman Price!" And I started running along the track towards the scream. Penny followed me, but at a more cautious pace.

A moment later, I rounded a corner, and was greeted by the cheery rays of sunlight from outside. Obviously, what was now the mouth of the mine had once been accessible by land, but the ocean had eroded the access path.

"I can't hold on for much longer!" I heard Professor Pickles say with despair.

Looking down from the mouth of the mine, I saw him clutching a tree root with one hand, and Norman with the other. They were both dangling about ten metres above the ocean.

"You won't have to!" I called down to them.

"FIREMAN SAM!" Norman shouted with both desperation and relief.

"I'm going to call for back-up," I explained. Penny removed her emergency backpack, and she anchored an abseiling rope top the rock face, while I got on my radio. I put the call out to everyone. "We're going to need Neptune and Wallaby One, fast!"

" _On my way, Sam,_ " Ben promptly radioed back.

" _On my way, Sam,_ " Tom radioed a moment later.

While we waited for back-up to arrive, Penny finished putting on her abseiling harness. As soon as I'd double-checked that everything was in order, she began to descend the cliff to where Norman and the Professor were dangling precariously. Norman screamed again.

Just as Penny reached them, Norman slipped from the Professor's grasp. Miraculously, Penny was able to grab hold of him before he fell to the water below. I doubt the fall would've killed him if he had fallen, but he probably would've been badly hurt.

"You're safe, Norman," Penny said reassuringly.

"Good work, Penny!" I called with relief. But I knew that they were far from being safe. Any moment, Penny could lose her grip of Norman as well. I needed to get him and the Professor to safety as quickly as possible. At least with Norman out of his hand, the Professor was now able to get a better grip on the tree root.

Just then, Ben arrived with Neptune, followed closely by Tom in Wallaby One. Tom flew Wallaby One as close to the cliff as he dared.

"Lower the double harness, Tom!" I shouted into my radio. The wind produced by the helicopter's rotor blades made it difficult to hear.

" _Roger that, Sam!_ " Tom replied. And he did so.

I caught one of the harnesses, and I slipped it around me. Once I was ready, Tom flew me down the cliff face to where the Professor was dangling.

"You first, Professor," I said. I helped him get into the harness. Then, Tom slowly flew us down to Neptune. Ben helped the Professor out of the harness, and then Tom flew me back up the cliff to fetch Norman.

"And now you, Norman!" I said as I put the harness around him.

Once we were both safely back inside Neptune, I removed the harness from myself and Norman. Penny would be able to manage the harness by herself.

"So, you two," I said sternly to Norman and Professor Pickles. "What happened there?"

"We're…really sorry, Fireman Sam," Norman replied sheepishly.

"We won't do any dangerous treasure hunting ever again!" Professor Pickles added.

Ben handed over a couple of life vests for Norman and the Professor.

"I'm glad to hear it!" I replied with relief.

Tom flew back with Penny in the harness. He gently lowered her into Neptune, and she removed the harness. Professor Pickles looked sadly out across the water.

"Still, it really is a shame that treasure is lost forever."

"Lost forever, Penny?" Ben said, turning to look at her. I placed a hand on Penny's shoulder for a moment.

"Hmm…" Penny mused thoughtfully.

Confused, I shook my head. "Okay, can someone please fill me in on exactly what's been going on? I know you were looking for Pontypandy Pete's treasure, Norman, but I didn't know you were involved as well, Professor."

"Er…well, I wasn't originally, you see. But then I found a clue in Pontypandy Pete's log book, and one thing led to another. I probably would have had the treasure safe and sound by now if it hadn't been for Norman…"

"But it was my idea to find the treasure in the first place!" Norman protested. "I wanted to find it, so I could be known as a great explorer!"

I held up my hands. "Wait! So, you've actually found the treasure?"

"Yes!" Norman and the Professor replied in unison.

"But it's at the bottom of the ocean now," Professor Pickles said sadly, and he glanced overboard.

"We found it sitting in an old cart in the cave," Norman added.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "It was actually IN the cart?"

"Yes," Professor Pickles replied. "Why? Do you think that has some significance?"

 _Well, I'd like to know how it ended up in the cart in the first place… It's not a clever place to hide treasure. Anyone could stumble across it! Maybe Pontypandy Pete was in a bit of a hurry when he hid it._ I shook my head slightly. "Why are you asking me? You're the professor."

"Yes, but you're a local. I can tell that you're very interested in this discovery."

"Only because I've been hearing the story of Pontypandy Pete since I was born," I pointed out.

"And Sam did discover the wreck in the first place," Penny added, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"In that case, I'd love to talk to you later!" Professor Pickles exclaimed. "You must know a lot of local legends, Sam."

I nodded, not sure about how I should respond. Ben cleared his throat.

"Let's head back to shore now. Uh, Professor and Norman, could you please sit down there? Sam and Penny, you'll just have to hang on."

Penny and I put on life vests, and we sat down at Neptune's stern, with the engine between us. I grabbed hold of one of the ropes attached to Neptune's side, and Penny did the same.

"We're right to go back here, Ben!" Penny called.

Ben gunned the engine, and we took off racing across the water towards Pontypandy.

…

Later that afternoon, almost everyone had gathered at the quay to celebrate Pontypandy Pete day. Ben and Penny were noted by their absence. They'd taken off with Neptune shortly after we'd returned to Pontypandy, without telling me where they were going. So, I'd radioed them to find out. Ben had replied saying that they were just checking something on Pontypandy Island, and would be back soon. I was about to report their absence to Station Officer Steele, when he stood up on a dais to address the crowd.

"Today, is Pontypandy Pete day. But sadly, the treasure of Pontypandy Pete…has been lost."

"It wasn't my fault!" Norman quickly protested.

"But at least someone's going to be playing the part of Pontypandy Pete," Elvis said. "Hehe! Aren't they, sir?"

"Oh! Er, yes! Well, er, I have of course been thinking long and hard about this one…"

As Station Officer Steele scanned the crowd looking at all the men, I tried to hide in the shadows.

"…And I… Err…" He made eye contact with me, but I quickly glanced at Charlie, who was standing beside me. "…Well…"

At that moment, we heard Neptune's horn sounding in the harbour. As a crowd, we rushed to the harbour's edge to see what was going on.

"Great tangled hoses!" Station Officer Steele exclaimed. "What was that?"

Looking out to sea, we saw Ben driving Neptune towards us. Penny was also on board, dressed in her scuba diving gear.

"Ah-har, sir!" Penny shouted. "Did you be wanting to see the treasure?"

Penny had her foot on a wooden chest that look suspiciously like a treasure chest.

"Penny must've swum down and found it!" Elvis said with delight.

I groaned inwardly. _And after I gave strict orders that there were to be no more solo scuba dives too! But still, I suppose it is good that she's found the treasure. Now we can find out more about it._

The children cheered as Ben parked Neptune alongside the harbour stairs.

"Oh, well done, Firefighter Morris!" Station Officer Steele praised.

"I think you might've found your Pontypandy Pete, sir," I said over his shoulder.

"I have indeed!" he agreed.

"Pontypandy Penny!" Station Officer Steele, Elvis and I declared in unison.

"Ah-har!" Penny replied, grinning.

Penny and Ben brought the heavy treasure chest up the harbour stairs. At the top, they set it down on the ground and opened it for Professor Pickles to examine. Three gold coins fell out when the lid was opened.

"Huh! There you go!" Ben panted happily.

Professor Pickles stepped forward to examine the hoard. "I say!" he breathed as he picked up a gold bangle. "It looks marvellous!"

"Shame it has to go to Newtown," I said sadly to Station Officer Steele. As much as I wanted to keep the treasure in Pontypandy, I knew the laws about ancient artefacts. All finds that were older than the mid-twentieth century had to be sent to a museum for verification. If the item was deemed of significant importance to local or national history, the museum had every right to claim it for the nation.

Professor Pickles put the bangle back and he stood up. "I think, in honour of your marvellous treasure hunters, we should open up a Pontypandy Seafaring Museum, and keep the treasure here!"

Everyone cheered with delight.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Professor!" I happily agreed.

Norman stepped forward. "I think it should be called 'The Norman Price Treasure Museum'!"

"Er, no!" Professor Pickles said. "It'll be called the 'Professor Pickles Museum for Maritime Artefacts'!"

"Boring!" Norman whined. "It will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"WILL NOT!"

I facepalmed myself. _If we want an example of what Norman will be like when he grows up, we don't have to look far…_

…

Later, at dusk, I found Penny inside the Ocean Rescue Centre, drying off her scuba diving gear. I sat down at the table opposite her, and I pushed a piece of paper towards her.

"What's this, Sam?"

"Your official warning from me," I replied sadly. "As your senior officer, I had no other choice. You ignored the warning I sent out via email, and I know you didn't tell me where you were going, because you intended to make a solo dive."

Penny chuckled and she pushed the paper back towards me. "You're mistaken, Sam. Ben dived with me. Do you honestly believe I could've lifted that treasure chest all by myself? We anchored Neptune before we made the dive. Ben's cleaning his gear upstairs."

As if on cue, the lift doors opened and Ben emerged carrying his freshly cleaned scuba diving gear. "Have you fitted a new oxygen cylinder to your set, Penny? Oh, hi Sam."

"Yes, I have Ben," Penny replied.

 _Clearly, I've jumped the gun here…_ I crumpled up the piece of paper with just one hand. Then, I stood up and I headed towards the door.

"Why don't you stay for a cup of tea, Sam?" Penny suggested.

"No thanks, Penny. I'll see you back at the fire station." Ashamed, I hurried towards the door, tossing the paper into the bin as I passed it.

"Are you going to tell Professor Pickles about the legends you know, Sam?" Ben asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"No, of course not! Not even my own family believe some of them, so he certainly wouldn't!" And with that, I hurried outside and I climbed onto Mercury.

I sat still on Mercury for a moment while I tried to pull myself together. I felt bad for accusing Penny of disobeying my order, and not investigating the facts before I approached her. I was also annoyed at Professor Pickles' arrogance, and at myself for snapping at Ben.

"Sam?"

Looking up, I saw Bronwyn approaching me. I sighed heavily. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You have the same expression James has when he's knows he's done something bad."

I chuckled slightly, despite myself. "I think I just need a holiday, that's all."

Bronwyn raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What? Are you sure you're not coming down with something? You never take holidays willingly! We always have to force you into it."

I put on my quadbike helmet. "Maybe I'm just starting to slow down a little. I've made a lot of mistakes recently, and they're playing on my mind."

Bronwyn shook her head. "You must be sick! Your mother always said that you start to overthink things when you're not well."

"When did she tell you that?"

"Does it matter? But I do agree that you need a holiday. You haven't had one this year. Why don't you go down to Cardiff and visit some of your old friends?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, maybe I should. Thanks, Bronwyn. Talking to you always seems to help me feel better."

Bronwyn smiled. "That's because I know you better than you realise. Plus, I'm a mother. I tend to notice things most people miss."

My phone rang then. Glancing at the screen, I saw that it was Station Officer Steele. I answered and put him on speakerphone. "Hello, sir."

" _Where are you, Sam?_ "

"I'm just down at the Ocean Rescue Centre."

" _Oh. Well, when are you planning to come back here? I need your help with some documents._ "

"I'm about to head back now, sir. Um, sir? Do you have any leave forms spare?"

" _I believe so. Why?_ "

"I'm thinking of taking my annual leave sooner rather than later. We can discuss it more when I get back."

" _Oh, right!_ " Station Officer Steele sounded even more surprised than Bronwyn had. " _I'll er… I'll put one on your desk._ "

"Thank you, sir. See you shortly." I hung up my phone, and placed it back in my pocket. Then I smiled and nodded at Bronwyn. "Thanks. I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Good. Take care, Sam. Good night."

"'Night, Bronwyn," I replied as I started up Mercury. I drove away up the street feeling a lot more positive and confident than I had within the past few days.


End file.
